Peacebuilding Fund – High-Level Stakeholder Meeting

STATEMENT BY
H.E. Karel J.G. van Oosterom
Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
to the United Nations
Peacebuilding Fund – High-Level Stakeholder Meeting

Thank you Madam Chair,

I would like to thank you for your leadership and personal efforts to make
this world a better and safer place to live. I thank the PBSO for organizing
this important meeting. Peacebuilding is an essential link in the chain of
transition from conflict to peace and development.

Peacebuilding seeks to prevent societies from relapsing into conflict and
chaos. The UN has a large and important role to play in this process. We have
come a long way over the last decade. We have established the Peacebuilding
Commission, a forum to discuss peacebuilding and to formulate common goals; we
have established the Peacebuilding Fund to finance peacebuilding endeavors, and
we have created an office to support our efforts. The essential elements of the
UN peacebuilding architecture are in place. Now we need to continue to improve
the performance of the system, and monitor its work. We welcome the outcome of
the Global Review and its recommendations. Please allow me to briefly highlight
three issues that are of particular importance to the Netherlands:

First, Resolution 1325, with which we have committed ourselves to include
women in peacebuilding and to focus on participation, protection, prevention,
and mainstreaming of a gender perspective. We continue to stress the importance
of involving women in all peacekeeping and peacebuilding measures, both in
policy and practice. The 2014 Review on Gender and Peacebuilding has given PBSO
the tools and insights to do so.

Second, Integration. Successful peacebuilding depends on a smart combination
of elements to promote peace, justice and development. Key factors for success
are careful analysis, solid planning, learning from experience, looking at local
context, ensuring local ownership and, last but not least – new solutions for
great challenges and taking calculated risks.

And third, monitoring and evaluation. Measuring and showing results remains
crucial to maintaining political and financial support from constituencies back
home. High-quality monitoring and evaluation are indispensable to showcase that
PBF-funding is making a positive impact on peacebuilding on the ground. It also
contributes to the steady expansion of a body of evidence on what works, and
what doesn’t, in peacebuilding.

I am glad to say that the PBSO has taken these points into account in the new
business plan.

Supporting the PBF has been a priority for the Netherlands since the
inception of the Fund. It pleases me to say that our commitment continues and
the Netherlands stands ready to replenish the fund with an additional EUR 10mln
for the period 2014-2015 if the PBF meets its targets. The Kingdom of The
Netherlands is your partner for Peace, Justice and Development, and the
Peacebuilding Fund is crucial in realizing these ambitions for those countries
that need it the most. That is why we will continue to support the Peacebuilding
Fund.